Bernard Tapie, former French minister and president of Olympique Marseille, died after a long illness, stomach cancer, at the age of 78.
Businessman, involved in various scandals, he was at the helm of Olympique de Marseille from 1986 to 1994: during his management the team won four consecutive league titles from 1989 to 1992, a French Cup in 1989 and a European Cup in 1993, after being a finalist in 1991.
In 1994 he was overwhelmed by the so-called "VA-OM affair", an affair that involved some Valenciennes players, bribed by Marseillais members because they lost a league match in exchange for money, so that the Marseille players would save energy in view of the final. European match against AC Milan.
POLITICS - Tapie was also very active in the political field: a member of the Socialist Party, he was a deputy from 1993 to 1996 and minister of cities during the presidency of Francois Mitterrand (1992-1993).
He was also regional councilor in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and promoter of a new political group, Energie Radicale, capable of obtaining 12.03% in the 1994 European elections with 13 elected, but dissolved after a few months.
THE FILMS - There were also some elements in the acting. In 1996 he made his acting debut in the film "Men and women, instructions for use" and from 2003 to 2008 he starred in the TV series "Inspector Valence".
He also acted in the theater between 2000 and 2008 while in 2001 his vicissitudes were at the center of a documentary film entitled "Who Is Bernard Tapie?", Directed by the American director Marina Zenovich.
THE REACTIONS - Prime Minister Jean Castex "bowed" to the memory of Tapie, a "fighter", "very busy man". "The first image that comes to mind - said Castex - is that of the fighter, for his ideas, his beliefs. He has always been very committed against the far right, but above all for some causes, for his team. of football, his city, even his company. He gave everything and I think this has also been seen against the disease. He fought blow for blow, as a fighter as he always was. I bow to his memory ".
(Unioneonline / D)
